The invention is concerned with a steering-house for a ship or other floating vessel, more specially for an inland ship or small sea-going ship, provided with means to command the ship and for the navigation and the control of the different functions in the ship, in which the commandment means mainly are situated in front of and to both sides of the commander in floor-mounted consoles, and in which the radar screen(s) are placed in front of the commander, whereas a minor number of the means are fitted to the ceiling of the steering-house (like the radio, the intercom, mirrors of magnetic reflection compass, etc.), and with at least a centrally placed chair for the commander.
In the prior art there is revealed a lay-out for a steering house of a sea-going vessel which is intended to keep the functions of commandment, navigation and control of the different ships-functions separated. This is partly due to requirements imposed by the shipping inspections and the classification bureaus to the responsibilities of the respective crew members on a sea-going vessel and to the required minimum number of persons on the bridge. Within these limits, one tries to design a lay-out according to modern ergonometric points of view. It is a follow-up of what has grown since years in the inland shipping trade. For the smaller sea-going vessels, however, and for the inland shipping it is generally possible to rely on a one-man control, and the present invention aims to optimize this desire. Especially in crowded harbours and on inland waters with dense traffic, it is desirable to divert the attention of the commander as little as possible, for instance by having him visually find and read said different navigation and control means. The commander generally looks in a horizontal plane forward and round about and shall have to be able to find the greater part of said means for visual inspection without having to turn his head and without having to change his direction of view over more than a small angle. The means for the control, especially those for the commandment, consist of levers, pushing knobs and switches and are actuated with hands and feet. The commander shall have to be able to do this while in a seated position. Acoustical communication, of course, can take place from any place, but oral communication by the commander shall nevertheless have to take place near to his mouth or throat.